James Denselow

To many the growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine can only have two potential outcomes. One is a return to the status quo ahead of the extraordinary build-up of Russian forces we’re witnessing today, the other is when Russian tanks cross the border, and we enter a state of official conflict with potentially devastating global ramifications. However, in the age of hybrid warfare there are arguably a multitude of shades of grey between these two distinct end points.

Russia’s ‘shadow war’ in Ukraine is nefarious and lacks the clarity of a conventional conflict, but it hurts the country and its people in a multitude of wars. Much has already been made as to the threat from cyber weapons and how their lack of a clear perpetrator makes them such effective tactics of confusion. Earlier in January this year around seventy Ukrainian government websites were temporarily down, in the largest such attack in four years. This was likely a warning shot rather than a sustained attempt to dismantle and degrade Ukraine’s networks. Taking critical infrastructure offline and disrupting communications at a time of crisis has to potential to cost lives and take the direction of events in even more unpredictable directions.

Fears as to the security of Ukrainian’s state and citizens personal data is another real concern if the state’s defences are unable to protect from a sophisticated Russian attack. Bank accounts wiped out, medical records altered, peoples very citizenship disappearing online are amongst the sum of all fears. If data is the most valuable commodity of the modern age, it is not just a case of Russia seizing Ukraine’s factories and sources of energy to be successful.

Cyber and electronic warfare are the sharper end of a context that Russia is attempting to shape through various forms of propaganda and disinformation warfare. Whereas in the past Soviet controlled media focused on preventing information and news coming out, today the Russian government focuses on State-led or directed media flooding channels with falsehoods. Stories as to Ukrainian forces conducting atrocities in Russian speaking parts of the country or the Government in Kiev having fascist tendencies all set the context and justification for future action.

Information can also help turn up the temperature of events leading towards a narrative of a conflict of inevitability rather than one of choice. Recently the Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar took to Facebook to make the point that - "now, the information is being spread on the Internet with reference to anonymous sources that Russia allegedly sent supplies of blood and other medical materials for the wounded to the Ukrainian border. This information is not true. Such 'news' is an element of information and psychological warfare."

Disinformation and cyber skirmishes are complemented by a more nefarious set of tactics that fit under this banner of “psychological warfare”. Recently a series of hoax bomb alerts this year have forced the evacuation of schools in the capital Kyiv, and other cities, including Kharkiv, Lviv and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has recorded more than 300 bomb threats so far this year, compared to 1,100 for the whole of 2021. A population on the edge is being tested from without where Russian forces amass, and from within with these imagined threats.

Whilst much of the focus on tactics of economic warfare have been on potential sanctions on Moscow, the threat of conflict itself is having a ‘chilling’ effect on the Ukrainian economy. Whilst it would seem from news footage of the streets of Ukraine’s cities that there is a pervading clam, people aren’t spending in preparation of tougher times ahead. Ukraine needs as much as $5 billion to stabilize the economy, President Zelenskiy has said. The hyrvnia has dropped 8.4% against the dollar, one of the worst performers worldwide, since November when Russia again massed troops on the border.

What the combination of cyber, psychological, informational and economic measures add up to is something very different from the sight of masses of tanks on the move, yet it has a cumulative consequence that is crucial to understand. When it comes to the situation between Russia and Ukraine the absence of war is not necessarily peace. Instead, a semi-permanent sense of tension could develop with continued consequence for Kiev which could be living under the Damocles Sword of Moscow for years to come.

BY: James Denselow

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”